Easy assembly centrifugal juicer

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods herein relate to an easy assemble centrifugal juicer. The centrifugal juicer includes a top section having a juice spout and pulp spout, wherein the top section defines a cavity with a first mating surface and a second mating surface; a strainer section having a strainer, a drive member, and a projection, the projection structured to engage with the first mating surface to couple the strainer section to the top section; and a motor housing structured to house a motor, wherein the motor is operatively coupled to a motor adapter structured to engage with the drive member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority as a division of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/060,423 filed Mar. 3, 2016, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/128,842, filedMar. 5, 2015, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to juicers. More particularly, thepresent disclosure relates to centrifugal juicers and methods ofassembly thereof.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to provide a background or context to thedisclosure recited in the claims. The description herein may includeconcepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that havebeen previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwiseindicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art tothe description and claims in this application and is not admitted to beprior art by inclusion in this section.

Juicing is a process of extracting juice and related nutrients from afood product (e.g., food stuffs such as fruits, vegetables, etc.). Manypeople gravitate towards juicing to reap potential health benefits ofobtaining juice directly from fruits and vegetables. Currently, thereare several types of juicers on the market, including masticatingjuicers and centrifugal juicers. Masticating juicers utilize a crushingand pressing operation to extract juice while centrifugal juicersutilize a high speed rotary motion (i.e., centrifugal force) to extractthe juice from a product. Due to the crushing and pressing operation,masticating juicers tend to extract juice slower than centrifugaljuicers.

While centrifugal juicers provide the advantage of quickly extractingthe juice, centrifugal juicers can be confusing to assemble anddifficult to clean due to the relatively high number of components thatmust typically be disassembled/reassembled for operating and cleaningthe juicer. Currently, known centrifugal juicers generally have at leastfive separate parts. These centrifugal juicers typically require foursteps to make the unit operational: place the juice/pulp catcher on themotor housing, attach the strainer basket, attach the top/spout section,and latch the safety mechanism. The relatively high number of componentsand steps, especially the particular order of those steps, make thecurrent centrifugal juicers complicated and difficult to use for manyusers. Furthermore, the relatively high number of components makescleaning and re-assembly overly complicated and cumbersome for manyusers. Yet another disadvantage of know commercial centrifugal juicersis that each interface between separate components creates a source ofwear, misalignment, damage and represents a potential failure mode forthe appliance. The greater number of separate components, the greaterthe number of potential failure modes.

SUMMARY

One embodiment relates to a centrifugal juicer. The centrifugal juicerincludes a top section having a juice spout and pulp spout, wherein thetop section defines a cavity with a first mating surface and a secondmating surface; a strainer section having a strainer, a drive member,and a projection, the projection structured to mate with the firstmating surface to couple the strainer section to the top section; and amotor housing structured to house a motor, wherein the motor isoperatively coupled to a motor adapter structured to selectively engagewith the drive member.

Another embodiment relates to a method of providing a centrifugaljuicer. The method includes providing a top section of the centrifugaljuicer, the top section defining a cavity having a mating feature and alower opening; providing a strainer section of the centrifugal juicer,the strainer section having a mating feature and a drive member; andproviding a motor housing of the centrifugal juicer having a motor anddefining a coupling structure that selectively engages with the drivemember.

Still another embodiment relates to a method of assembling a centrifugaljuicer. A user may assemble the centrifugal juicer by inserting thestrainer section into the lower opening of the cavity defined by the topsection; upon insertion, the user may mate the top section with thestrainer section to couple the top section to the strainer section; and,subsequently, the user may mate the coupled top section and strainersection with the motor housing.

Yet another embodiment relates to a method of assembling a centrifugaljuicer. The method includes providing a top section, a strainer section,and a motor housing of the centrifugal juicer; coupling the strainersection with the motor housing to engage a strainer drive member of thestrainer section; and mating the top section with the coupled strainersection and motor housing, wherein mating the top section to the coupledstrainer section and motor housing activates an interlock device topermit power to a motor in the motor housing.

A further embodiment relates to a method of assembling a centrifugaljuicer. The method includes providing a top section, a strainer section,and a motor housing of a centrifugal juicer; and, performing one of:inserting the strainer section into a lower opening of a cavity definedby the top section, or coupling the strainer section with the motorhousing to engage a strainer drive member of the strainer section.According to one embodiment, when the insertion process is performed,the method further includes mating the top section with the strainersection to couple the top section to the strainer section, and matingthe coupled top section and strainer section with the motor housing toform the centrifugal juicer. According to another embodiment, when thecoupling process is performed, the method further includes mating thetop section with the coupled strainer section and motor housing to formthe centrifugal juicer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional front assembly view of a centrifugal juicer,according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front assembly view of a centrifugal juicer with the juicerand pulp containers removed, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a top section of a centrifugal juicer,according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the top section of FIG. 3,according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a strainer section for the centrifugal juicerof FIGS. 1 and 2, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front isometric view of a strainer of the strainer sectionof FIG. 5, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a bottom isometric view of the strainer of FIG. 6, accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a strainer bottom member of thestrainer section of FIG. 5, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a strainer bottom member of FIG.8, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a front view a juicer sieve housing and drive member of thestrainer section of FIG. 5 with the strainer bottom member and strainerremoved, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the juicer sieve housing and drivemember of FIG. 10, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the juicer sieve housing anddrive member of FIG. 10, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the juicer sieve housing with thedrive member, strainer, and strainer bottom member removed, according toan exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 13, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the drive member with a bracket ofthe strainer section of FIG. 5 with the juicer sieve housing, strainer,and strainer bottom member removed, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 15, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a front view of the drive member of FIGS. 15-16 with thebracket removed, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of a cutting member for a centrifugaljuicer, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of a motor housing for the centrifugaljuicer of FIGS. 1 and 2, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a top perspective view of a motor housed in the motor housingof FIGS. 1, 2, and 19, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a front view of the motor of FIG. 20, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 22 is an exploded assembly view of the strainer section proximate alower part of the top section prior to engagement of the strainersection to the top section, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a front transparent view of the strainer section engaged withthe top section of a centrifugal juicer, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 24 is a front exploded assembly view of the engaged top andstrainer sections proximate the motor housing prior to engagement of theengaged top and strainer sections to the motor housing, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a front view of an assembled centrifugal juicer, according toan exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a front cross-sectional view of the strainer section engagedwith the top section of a centrifugal juicer, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of the centrifugal juicer of FIG. 17,according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented here.

Referring to the Figures generally, a centrifugal juicer and method ofassembly thereof are shown according to various embodiments disclosedherein. According to the present disclosure, a top section of acentrifugal juicer includes a food inlet spout, a pulp exit spout, and ajuice spout. A middle section or strainer section of the centrifugaljuicer includes a strainer, a cutting member, and an attachment devicefor coupling the middle section to the top section. The bottom sectionor motor housing of the centrifugal juicer houses a motor for thecentrifugal juicer. According to the present disclosure, the top sectionis a unitary assembly, the strainer section is a unitary assembly, andthe motor housing is a unitary housing (i.e., single piece components).Therefore, the centrifugal juicer of the present disclosure has onlythree separable components. The relatively low number of componentsreduces the complexity, permits easier cleaning, and reduces the numberof potential failure modes relative to conventional centrifugal juicers.

To assemble the centrifugal juicer of the present disclosure, thestrainer section is attached to a bottom or floor part of the topsection. Then, the combined top and strainer sections are attached tothe motor housing. An interlock device (e.g., safety mechanism, etc.) isactivated upon proper attachment of the combined top and strainersections to the motor housing. Activation of the interlocking devicepermits power to the motor to operate the centrifugal juicer. Asdescribed above, conventional juicers typically require at least foursteps before the centrifugal juicer is operational. According to thepresent disclosure, the centrifugal juicer is assembled in two steps.This reduction in steps saves time, reduces complexity, improvesreliability and as a result, may be more appealing to users andconsumers over conventional centrifugal juicers. Furthermore, byincluding activation of the interlocking device during engagement of thecombined top section and strainer section with the motor housing, theuse of external latches that are typically found in conventionalcentrifugal juicers are eliminated. These and other features andadvantages of the centrifugal juicer of the present disclosure aredescribed more fully herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, a cross-sectional front assembly view of acentrifugal juicer (FIG. 1) and a front assembly view of a centrifugaljuicer with the juicer and pulp containers removed (FIG. 2) are shown,according to exemplary embodiments. Generally speaking, the centrifugaljuicer 100 is structured to receive food stuffs (e.g., fruit,vegetables, etc.), cut the food stuffs using a cutting member, andextract juice from the cut-up produce (e.g., from the pulp and flesh ofthe produce). The juice is extracted using a centrifugal force toseparate the juice from the solid parts of the cut-up food stuffs. Theextracted juice is provided to a container for consumption while theremaining, substantially solid parts of the food stuffs are provided toa separate pulp container. The remaining solid parts of the food stuffsmay be discarded and/or used for other purposes (e.g., as part of arecipe, etc.).

The centrifugal juicer 100 generally includes three main components: atop section 110, a strainer section 120, and a motor housing 130. Whenassembled, the top section 110 is in fluid communication with pulp andjuice containers 140, 150 respectively (e.g., holders, collectors,receptors, jars, etc.). The juice container 150 and pulp container 140may be of any shape and size. As shown, the pulp container 140 ispositioned external of the three main components of the centrifugaljuicer 100. In other embodiments, the centrifugal juicer 100 may bestructured to include an integrated pulp container (i.e., there is noexternal container like shown in FIG. 1). In this configuration, the topsection 110 may be expanded to define a separate volume for theseparated pulp (i.e., the substantially solid cut-up food stuffs). Thus,despite the Figures and description herein being directed to acentrifugal juicer with an external pulp container, this structure isnot meant to be limiting as the same or similar principles, structures,and methods described herein may be used with centrifugal juicers withintegrated pulp containers. Therefore, both variations are intended tofall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Before turning to the process of assembling the centrifugal juicer 100,each main component and features thereof are explained. Accordingly,referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the top section 110 is shown according tovarious exemplary embodiments. As shown, the top section 110 includes ahousing 115 (e.g., body, bowl, drum, etc.) that defines a cavity 116.The cavity 116 is in food stuff receiving communication with a foodinlet 111 (e.g., a food inlet spout, chute, entry, etc.) of the housing115. The housing 115 also includes a juice spout 112 (e.g., pipe,channel, etc.) extending from the housing 115. The juice spout 112 isstructured to guide the extracted juice to the juice container 150.While the juice spout 112 is shown as a tube extending from the housing115, any shape and structure may be used for the juice spout 112. Forexample, in other embodiments, the housing may define an opening oraperture that provides the extracted juice. As shown, the housing 115also defines a pulp exit 113. The pulp exit 113 is structured to providepulp and other substantially solid parts of the food stuffs to the pulpcontainer 140. While shown as an opening, the pulp exit 113 may have anytype of shape (e.g., a tube extending from the housing that is receivedby the pulp container 140, etc.). In FIGS. 2-4, a cover 109 is shownextending from the housing 115. The cover 109 is structured to couplethe top section 110 to the pulp container 140. The cover 109 may alsosubstantially prevent spillage from the transfer of the substantiallysolid food stuffs in the cavity 116 to the pulp exit 113 to the pulpcontainer 140. In operation, the centrifugal force from the cuttingmember 125 (see FIG. 10) causes the cut-up and substantially solid foodstuffs (e.g., pulp) to rise above the rim 122 of the strainer section120 (see FIGS. 6-7) and into the pulp exit 113 to the pulp container140.

As described more fully herein, the housing 115 also includes anattachment mechanism (i.e., a mating feature) for coupling the topsection 110 to the strainer section 120. As shown in FIGS. 1-2 (thedashed line in FIG. 2 and the double arrow line in FIG. 1), the strainersection 120 is inserted into the bottom (i.e., opening 118) of the topsection 110 to couple the strainer section 120 to the top section 110.In the embodiment shown (see FIG. 4), the housing 115 defines a firstmating surface, shown as first ridge 114 (e.g., threads, projections,etc.) that are structured to rotatably engage with complementaryprojections 127 of the strainer section 120. As described herein, inother embodiments, any other type of attachment mechanism or matingfeature may be utilized to couple or mate the top section 110 to thestrainer section 120 (e.g., a snap engagement, an interferencerelationship, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 115 also defines a second matingsurface, shown as second ridge 117 (e.g., thread(s), ledge, projection,etc.). The second mating surface corresponds with a second matingfeature for the housing 115, where the second mating feature isstructured to selectively permit mating or coupling of the housing 115to the motor housing 130. In the example shown, the second ridge 117 ispositioned below the first ridge 114 (i.e., closer to the lower opening118 of the cavity 116 where the strainer section 120 is inserted). Inoperation, the strainer section 120 engages with the first ridge 114 tocouple the strainer section 120 to the top section 110. However, a lowerpart of the housing 115 where the second ridge 117 is positioned stillremains exposed when the top section 110 is coupled to the strainersection 120. In operation, this exposed part slides over the top member137 of the motor housing 130, such that the second ridge 117 is able toengage with the groove 138 of the motor housing 130 to couple the topsection 110 to the motor housing 130.

As described herein, the strainer section 120 also includes a sealingmember 126 that engages with the side walls of the cavity 116 to form asubstantially fluid tight connection. According to one embodiment, theportion of the cavity 116 (i.e., where the first ridge 114 is located)that receives the strainer section 120 is of a relatively smallerdiameter (D1 in FIG. 3) than the diameter (D2 in FIG. 3) portion of thecavity 116 that slips over the top member 137 (i.e., where the secondridge 117 is positioned). In this regard, the strainer section 120 maybe inserted and removed from the top section 110 without interferingwith the mechanism used to couple the top section 110 to the motorhousing 130. In other embodiments, various other types of attachment,mating, or coupling mechanisms may be utilized to couple the top section110 to the strainer section 120 and to couple the top section 110 to themotor housing 130.

As shown, the housing 115 is generally cylindrical in shape. This is forillustrative purposes only and not meant to be limiting. In otherembodiments, any shape of the housing 115 may be used. Similarly, othershapes and relative sizes may also be used with the food inlet 111 andjuice spout 112, such that the cylindrical shapes depicted in theFigures are not meant to be limiting.

According to the present disclosure, the top section 110 is of unitaryconstruction (e.g., a one-piece component). Advantageously, the unitaryconstruction of the top section 110 reduces the number of componentsincluded with the centrifugal juicer 100. Furthermore and as describedmore fully herein, due to this unitary construction, the steps used toassemble the centrifugal juicer 100 may be reduced relative toconventional centrifugal juicers. This feature may reduce complexity,reduce the number of components for cleaning, and thus increase ease ofuse of the centrifugal juicer 100 of the present disclosure. Moreover,by integrating the components into a unitary component, a reduction infailure modes is achieved due to the relatively fewer number of partsthat could fail as compared to conventional centrifugal juicers. Inturn, this increases the reliability of the centrifugal juicer 100 ofthe present disclosure relative to conventional centrifugal juicers.

As mentioned above and shown in regard to FIGS. 1-2, the centrifugaljuicer includes three main components: the top section 110, the strainersection 120, and the motor housing 130. Accordingly, referring now toFIGS. 5-18, the features of the strainer section 120 are shown accordingto various exemplary embodiments.

As described herein, in one embodiment, the strainer section 120 mayinclude one mating surface for mating or coupling to the top section110. This structure corresponds with the strainer section 120 firstbeing inserted and coupled to the top section 110 followed by thatassembly mating with the motor housing 130. In another embodiment and asalso further described herein, the strainer section 120 may have twomating surfaces: one for the top section 110 and one for the motorhousing 130. This structure corresponds with the strainer section 120and motor housing 130 being coupled or mated first, followed by the topsection 110 mating with that assembly. In other embodiments, thestrainer section 120 may always or substantially always include twomating surfaces even though only one mating surface is used as in thefirst described embodiment. Advantageously, this structure may providemodularity for the strainer section 120 and centrifugal juicer 100 suchthat each method of assembly may be readily utilized depending on thepreference of the assembler of the juicer 100.

The strainer section 120 is structured to strain or filter the solidparts of the cut-up food stuffs received in the food inlet 111 from thejuice extracted from the food stuffs. In this regard, the strainersection 120 substantially only permits juice to flow through strainer121 to the juice spout 112. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the strainersection 120 is generally basket shaped and includes a strainer 121(e.g., filter, mesh, sifter, sieve, etc.), a rim 122, a strainer bottommember 123, a juicer sieve housing 124, a cutting member 125 (e.g.,grating disk, grating teeth, etc.), a sealing member 126, and a drivemember 160.

The strainer 121 is shown in FIGS. 6-7. As shown, the strainer 121 is ofa frusto-conical shape. However, in other embodiments, the strainer 121may be of any shape (e.g., cylindrical, etc.). Similarly, the strainer121 may be of any porosity desired (more porosity may permit relativelymore solid parts of the food stuff to be provided with the juice via thejuice spout 112 while lesser porosity reduces the solid parts of thefood stuffs from passing through the strainer 121 to the juice spout112). The strainer 121 is shown to include a rim 122. When the topsection 110 is engaged with the strainer section 120, the rim 122engages with an upper portion of the cavity 116 (below the pulp exit113) to facilitate providing the cut-up solid food stuffs to the pulpexit 113 and substantially prevent the cut-up substantially solid foodstuffs from going to any other place than the pulp container 140.

The strainer 121 is also shown to define an aperture 144 and an opening145, where the opening 145 is centrally located. The opening 145 issized to permit the cutting member adapter 164 of the drive member 160to pierce through for engagement/coupling to the cutting member 125. Theapertures 144 may be used to receive one or more fasteners to couple thestrainer 121 to, for example, the cutting member 125. Accordingly, inone embodiment, the strainer 121 is attached to the cutting member 125such that both the strainer 121 and the cutting member 125 rotate duringthe juicing process (i.e., rotate in unison). Advantageously, therotating of the strainer 121 also facilitates providing the cut-up solidfood stuffs to the pulp exit 113. In other embodiments, the strainer 121is held stationary while the cutting member 125 is operated.

Positioned below the strainer 121 (i.e., proximate the juicer sievehousing 124) is the strainer bottom member 123. The strainer bottommember 123 is shown in FIGS. 8-9. The strainer bottom member 123 isstructured to substantially cover or shield an upper portion of thedrive member 160 (e.g., to prevent the food stuffs and juice fromadversely affecting the drive ability of the drive member 160 to powerthe cutting member 125). Accordingly, while shown as a cylindricallyshaped member, the strainer bottom member 123 may have any shape andsize to insulate or shield an upper part of the drive member (e.g.,proximate the cutting member adapter 164). In certain embodiments, thestrainer bottom member 123 may be used to couple to the strainer 121(e.g., via one or more fasteners, etc.).

In the embodiment shown, the strainer bottom member 123 includes aperipheral wall 146. The strainer bottom member 123 also includes acentrally located cylinder member 148 that defines an opening 147. Thecutting member adapter 164 is sized to fit through the opening 147. Thecentrally located cylinder member 148 fits around the upper part of thedrive member 160 but below a top surface of the strainer bottom member123. Accordingly, when the cutting member 125 is attached to the cuttingmember adapter 164, the attachment of the cutting member 125 to thedrive member 160 (via the cutting member adapter 164) with the cylindermember 148 functions to attach the strainer bottom member 123 to thedrive member 160 to substantially prevent the components from becomingfree. In this regard, the strainer bottom member 123 rotates with thestrainer 121 and the cutting member 125.

In sum, the strainer bottom member 123 is structured to attach to thedrive member 160 on or near its bottom and attach to the strainer 121and the cutting member 125 on or near its top. In one embodiment, thestrainer bottom member 123 is used as the means to attach the strainer121 and the cutting member 125 to the top of the drive member 160. Asdescribed above, the strainer bottom member 123 may also help blockjuice from getting by the drive member 160. However, in someembodiments, the strainer bottom member 123 may be excluded. Forexample, by connecting the drive member 160 directly to the strainer 121and cutting member 125, then the strainer bottom member 123 may beremoved.

With the strainer 121 and strainer bottom member 123 shown anddescribed, referring now to FIGS. 10-12, a front (FIG. 10), topperspective (FIG. 11), and bottom perspective view (FIG. 12) of thejuicer sieve housing 124 assembled with the drive member 160 are shownaccording to various exemplary embodiments. In FIGS. 10-12, the strainer121 and strainer bottom member 123 have been removed for clarity. Thejuicer sieve housing 124 is shown with the drive member 160 removed inFIGS. 13-14. Accordingly, referring collectively to FIGS. 10-14, thejuicer sieve housing 124 is explained.

The juicer sieve housing 124 is structured to couple to the drive member160. In the embodiment shown, the juicer sieve housing 124 includes awall 170. The wall 170 defines an opening 172 and has a cylindricalshape such that the wall 170 surrounds the opening 172. The wall 170 israised or elevated relative to an upper surface 171 of the juicer sievehousing 124.

The juicer sieve housing 124 is shown to include a ledge 173 (e.g.,extension, projection, jut, etc.) extending within the opening 172. Theledge 173 is concentric relative to the wall 170 and defines one or moregrooves 174 (e.g., indents, ruts, ridges, etc.). As described herein, anupper surface of the ledge 173 (i.e., proximate the upper surface 171)and the grooves 174 cooperate with the drive member 160 to couple thedrive member 160 to the juicer sieve housing 124 to form a singlecomponent.

The juicer sieve housing 124 is also shown to include one or moreprojections 127 (e.g., threads, etc.) positioned circumferentially on aside wall 175 of the juicer sieve housing 124 and below the sealingmember 126. As described above, the projections 127 are structured toengage with the first ridge 114 of the cavity 116 of the housing 115 tocouple the strainer section 120 to the top section 110. As mentionedabove, in other embodiments, any other type of attachment, coupling, ormating mechanism may be used to couple to the strainer section 120 tothe top section 110 (e.g., an interference-type relationship between thecavity 116 and the juicer sieve housing 124, a snap engagement, etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, the side wall 175 defines a cavity 176 on abottom side of the juicer sieve housing 124. A member 177 that iscylindrically-shaped is centrally positioned relative to a center of theopening 172. The member 177 surrounds a lower portion of the drivemember 160 (i.e., the motor adapter 162). The member 177 alsosubstantially surrounds the drive member adapter 132 of the motor 131when the drive member adapter 132 and the motor adapter 162 are engaged.Advantageously, the member 177 substantially shields the couplingbetween the motor 131 and the drive member 160. This reduces thelikelihood of unwanted particles from becoming lodged in the coupling orotherwise interfering with the ability to repeatedly engage/disengagethe drive member 160 to the motor 131. While the Figures depict acylindrically-shaped member, in other embodiments, any shaped may beused. In alternate embodiments, the member 177 may be removed. All suchvariations are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

The juicer sieve housing 124 is also shown to include a sealing member126. As mentioned above, the sealing member 126 is structured to form asubstantially fluid tight seal when the strainer section 120 is engagedwith the top section 110. Accordingly, the sealing member 126circumferentially surrounds an upper part of the juicer sieve housing124 (see, e.g., FIG. 10). In this regard, the extracted juice (and solidfood stuffs) are substantially prevented from flowing towards the motorhousing 130. Rather, the juice and solid food stuffs are substantiallyonly directed to the juice spout 112 and pulp exit 113, respectively.Accordingly, the sealing member 126 may be constructed from any type ofsealing material (e.g., plastic, rubber, etc.). As shown, the sealingmember 126 has a complementary shape to the cavity 116 where thestrainer section 120 is received. As mentioned above, the strainersection 120 is inserted into the top section 110 via the lower opening118 and situated where the strainer section 120 engages with the topsection 110 (e.g., where the diameter is D1 (FIG. 3), such that thatsealing member 126 has a circumferential diameter near D1 (as comparedto the larger diameter D2)). It should be understood that in thisembodiment, the cavity 116 has a circular shape, such that the sealingmember 126 also has circular shape. In other embodiments, any shape maybe used.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-17, a drive member 160 for the strainersection 120 is shown, according to various exemplary embodiments. Asshown, the drive member 160 includes a body 161 having a motor adapter162 and a cutting member adapter 164, where the cutting member adapter164 is positioned longitudinally opposite relative to the motor adapter162. The motor adapter 162 is structured to couple the drive member 160to the motor 131. As shown, the motor adapter 162 has a plurality ofridges 163 (e.g., projections, etc.) that fit or are received within aplurality of grooves 134 (see FIG. 20) of the drive member adapter 132(e.g., coupling structure) of the motor 131 when the drive member 160 iscoupled to the motor 131. The cutting member adapter 164 is structuredto couple the drive member 160 to a cutting member 125. It should benoted that the shapes and sizes of the cutting member adapter 164 andthe motor adapter 162 are for illustrative purposes only as a widevariety of shapes and sizes may be used to couple the drive member 160to the cutting member 125 and motor 131, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 15-16, the drive member 160 is coupled to a housing,shown as bracket 165. The bracket 165 is structured to attach the drivemember 160 to the juicer sieve housing 124. As shown, the bracket 165(e.g., disc member, body, housing, etc.) surrounds a ring member 166(FIG. 17) of the drive member 160. The bracket 165 includes bearings 167(e.g., ball bearings, etc.) that interface with the ring member 166 ofthe drive member 160. The bearings 167 permit rotation of the drivemember 160 while reducing an amount of wear and tear on the drive member160 during operation. The bracket 165 may be attached to the drivemember 160 in any fashion. As shown, the drive member 160 includes acircumferential projection 159 that substantially surrounds the drivemember 160. The circumferential projection 159 is structured to engagewith the bracket 165 to at least partially couple the bracket 165 andthe drive member 160.

As mentioned above, the bracket 165 also couples or attaches to thejuicer sieve housing 124. As shown in FIG. 16, the bracket 165 includesone or more projections 168 positioned proximate the motor adapter 162.The projections 168 are sized and shaped to be received in the grooves174 of the juicer sieve housing 124. Interaction between the grooves 174and projections 168 substantially prevents relative rotation between thebracket 165 and juicer sieve housing 124. The bracket 165 is also shownto include an insulating member 169 positioned above the projections168. To couple the drive member 160 and bracket 165 to the juicer sievehousing 124, the motor adapter 162 is first passed through the top ofthe opening 172. The projections 168 are received in the grooves 174 andthe insulating member 169 rests on the ledge 173. In one embodiment, theinsulating member 169 is constructed from rubber. In other embodiments,the insulating member 169 is constructed from any material (e.g.,plastic, etc.). The insulating member 169 insulates the drive member160, bracket 165 and juicer sieve housing 124 assembly. For example,when the juicer is operated, the insulating member 169 absorbs much ofthe vibrations to substantially prevent harmful vibrations fromemanating through the strainer section 120 and elsewhere in the juicer100 that may cause an undesirable operating experience for a user.

Referring now to FIG. 18, a cutting member 125 for the centrifugaljuicer 100 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. In use, thecutting member 125 sits in a lower part of the strainer 121. The cuttingmember 125 is shown to include teeth 180 and an adapter 182. The cuttingmember 125 is also shown to include one or more openings, shown as three(3) in FIG. 18, that may be used to fasten the cutting member 125 to thestrainer 121. Therefore, as mentioned above, the cutting member 125 andstrainer 121 both rotate and rotate in unison. The adapter 182 isstructured to mate or engage with the cutting member adapter 164, suchthat the drive member 160 (when powered) may drive the cutting member125. As shown, the cutting member 125 includes teeth 180 that arestructured to cut or slice the food stuffs from the rotary motion of thecutting member 125. However, in other embodiments, the cutting member125 may be of any shape and structure to cut, grate, or otherwise slicethe food stuffs received via the food inlet 111, in order to betterfacilitate extraction of juices during centrifugal motion.

When these features are assembled, a one-piece strainer section 120component is formed. According to the present disclosure, the featuresof the strainer section 120 are permanently coupled such that thestrainer section 120 permanently represents only one component, in a waythat conventional juicers have been unable to achieve. As such, thenumber of components included with the juicer 100 are relatively small.Further, the level of complexity is reduced relative to otherconventional centrifugal juicers. According to an alternate embodiment,one or more of the individual components may be removed to facilitatedisassembly of the strainer section 120.

Referring now to FIG. 19, features of the third main component—the motorhousing 130—are shown, according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG.19 depicts the motor housing 130 itself, according to an exemplaryembodiment. The motor housing 130 is structured to house and protect themotor 131. As such, the motor housing 130 and the components included inthe motor housing 130, such as the motor 131, represent a singlecomponent, configured in a way that conventional juicers have beenunable to achieve. The motor housing 130 is shown to be generallycylindrical in shape, however any shape is possible. The motor housing130 may also be constructed from any material (e.g., plastic, etc.). Asdescribed herein, to assemble the centrifugal juicer 100, the motorhousing 130 is coupled to the top section 110 and engages with thestrainer section 120 (e.g., the motor adapter 162).

As shown in FIG. 19, the motor housing 130 defines a recess 135 (e.g.,cavity, etc.) and an opening 136 (e.g., aperture, etc.) located in thecenter of the recess 135. The drive member adapter 132 of the motor 131extends through the opening 136 to engage with the motor adapter 162when the top section 110 and strainer section 120 are coupled to themotor housing 130. Further, when engaged, the cylinder member 177 mayengage with a lower surface of the recess 135 to shield the coupledmotor 131 and drive member 160. In some embodiments, the motor 131 maybe operatively coupled to a motor coupling or adapter of the motorhousing 130 (rather than the motor 131 itself), such that the drivemember 160 selectively engages with the motor coupling or adapter of themotor housing instead of directly coupling to a motor coupling of themotor. All such variations are intended to fall within the spirit andscope of the present disclosure.

As also shown in FIG. 19, the motor housing 130 includes a top member137 (e.g., wall, etc.) positioned on an upper part of the motor housing130. The top member 137 surrounds the recess 135. The top member 137also defines a groove 138 located on an external surface of the topmember 137 (e.g., furthest from the recess 135). In operation, a ridge117 of the housing 115 of the top section 110 fits over the top memberto rotatably engage with the groove 138 to attach the top section 110 tothe motor housing 130. Thus, the top section 110 and strainer section120 are rotatably engaged and disengaged with the motor housing 130.While the groove 138-to-ridge 117 engagement represents a twist lockfeature, which is shown in the Figures, it should be understood thatother coupling mechanisms for the top and strainer sections 110, 120 tothe motor housing 130 may be used. For example, in other embodiments,full threads may be used. In still other example embodiments, a snapengagement may be used. In yet another example embodiment, the couplingbetween the motor 131 and the drive member 160 may couple the top andstrainer sections 110, 120 to the motor housing 130 such that the topand strainer sections 110, 120 are just placed on top the motor housing130. All such variations are intended to fall within the spirit andscope of the present disclosure.

As described herein, in other embodiments, the strainer section 120 maymate or couple to the motor housing 130 first followed by the topsection 110 coupling to the mated strainer section 120 and motor housing130. In one embodiment, mating between the strainer section 120 and themotor housing 130 is via engagement of the drive member 160 and themotor 131. In another embodiment, an additional mating feature may beused to enhance or strengthen the coupling. In the example shown in theFigures herein, the top member 137 defines a second groove 141 on aninternal surface (proximate the opening 136). The strainer section 120may include a ridge or projection (e.g., a second projection, likeprojection 127) that cooperates with the groove 141 to couple or matethe strainer section 120 to the motor housing 130. This type ofengagement represents a twist lock feature like the groove 138-to-ridge117 engagement described above. However, like the above described matingfeature, many other types of mating or attachment mechanisms between thestrainer section 120 and the motor housing 130 may be used (e.g., aninterference type relationship, threads, etc.), such that groove 141 isembodiment is not meant to be limiting.

In this configuration where the strainer section 120 is first coupled ormated with the motor housing 130, the strainer section 120 has twomating surfaces (one for the motor housing 130 and one for the topsection 110), the top section 110 has two mating surfaces (one for themotor housing 130 and one for strainer section 120), and the motorhousing 130 has two mating surfaces (one for the strainer section 120and one for the top section 110). In comparison, in the configurationwhere the top section 110 is first coupled to the strainer section 120and that assembly is then mated or coupled with the motor housing 130,only the top section 110 has two mating surfaces (one for the strainersection 120 and one for the motor housing 130). The strainer section 120has one mating surface (for the top section 110) and the motor housing130 has one mating surface (for the top section 110). Theseconfigurations may be utilized based on the on the type of centrifugaljuicer. For example, an integrated pulp container centrifugal juicer mayuse the two mating surface structure for each component in order toincrease the robustness of the juicer (due to its relatively larger sizewith the integrated pulp container).

Referring still to FIG. 19, when the top section 110 and strainersection 120 are engaged or mated with the motor housing 130, aninterlock device 133 (e.g., safety mechanism, etc.) is activated. Theinterlock device 133 is structured to selectively control power to themotor 131. When activated, the interlock device 133 permits electricalpower to the motor 131 for the motor 131 to drive the cutting member 125during the juicing process. When deactivated, electrical power isprevented from reaching the motor 131. According to the presentdisclosure, the interlock device 133 is activated only when the topsection 110 is correctly received on the motor housing 130.

The interlock device 133 may be activated/deactivated either directly orindirectly via engagement of the top section 110 to the motor housing130. As shown, the interlock device 133 is activated directly. In theembodiment depicted, the interlock device 133 is structured as a switch.The switch is depressed when the top section 110 is correctly engagedwith the motor housing 130. Depression of the switch closes the circuitand allows the motor 131 to be powered. In other embodiments, theinterlock device 133 may be structured as a proximity sensor thatdetects the correct position of the top and strainer sections 110, 120to the motor housing 130 to activate the interlock device 133. In stillother embodiments, magnetic contacts may be used: when a pole of themagnet of the top section aligns with a pole of the magnet of the motorhousing, the interlock device is activated to permit power to the motor131. According to an alternate embodiment and as mentioned above, theinterlock device 133 is activated indirectly via the engagement of thetop section 110 to the motor housing 130. For example, a mechanism inthe strainer section 120 may be activated, which in turn activates theinterlock device 133 when the top section 110 and motor housing areassembled correctly.

By providing activation/deactivation of the interlock device 133 duringengagement/disengagement of the top and strainer sections 110, 120 withthe motor housing 130, external latch members used in conventioncentrifugal juicers are eliminated. Consequently, the number of partsare reduced as are the number of steps needed to assemble thecentrifugal juicer 100 of the present disclosure for operation, relativeto conventional centrifugal juicers.

Referring now to FIGS. 20-21, a top perspective view (FIG. 20) and afront view (FIG. 21) of a motor for the centrifugal juicer of thepresent disclosure are shown, according to exemplary embodiments. Themotor 131 is attached to the motor housing 130. As shown, the motor 131includes a housing bracket 139 that facilitates attachment of the motor131 to the motor housing 130. In the example shown, the housing bracket139 includes apertures 142 that receive a fastener to fastens thehousing bracket 139 (and, in turn, the motor 131) to the motor housing130. However, other attachment mechanisms for the motor 131 to the motorhousing 130 may also be used, such that the depicted configuration isnot meant to be limiting.

The motor 131 may be of any configuration. In some embodiments, themotor 131 may be of a variable speed to permit a user to select a speedsetting while in other embodiments, the motor 131 may be of a singlespeed. The motor 131 may be battery-powered in a portable or mobileconfiguration for the centrifugal juicer 100. In another embodiment, themotor 131 is electrically coupled to an alternating current (AC)electrical cord that is used with an electrical outlet. Accordingly,depending on the application, the motor 131 may be both AC and directcurrent (DC) powered with varying power outputs (e.g., 300 watt motor,1000 watt motor, etc.). Furthermore, based on the motor 131configuration, the cutting member 125 may be driven at a wide variety ofrotational speeds, i.e. revolutions-per-minute (RPM) (e.g., 6500 RPM,12000 RPM, etc.). Therefore, the motor is widely configurable based onthe intended application (e.g., an intended high-powered centrifugaljuicer may utilize the 1000 watt motor while an intended lower-poweredcentrifugal juicer may utilize the 300 watt motor).

With the aforementioned description above regarding the top section 110,the strainer section 120, the motor housing 130, and the components thatform each section, FIGS. 22-25 pictorially represent a method ofassembling the centrifugal juicer 100 of the present disclosureaccording to an exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 22-23 depict step one of theassembly process: attach the strainer section 120 to the top section110. As shown in FIG. 22, the top section 110 is positionedlongitudinally above the strainer section 120. In turn, the strainersection 120 is inserted into the bottom of the top section 110 (e.g.,via the opening 118 shown in FIG. 4). In a conventional assembly ofcentrifugal juicers, the strainer basket is inserted into the juicecatching section from the top and then the juicer cover is placed overthe strainer basket. In the example embodiment shown, the top section110 is coupled to the strainer section 120 via the rotatable engagementof the first ridge 114 (of the cavity 116 of the housing 115) and theprojection(s) 127 of the strainer section 120. This engagement is shownin FIG. 26, which depicts a cross-sectional view of the top section andstrainer section 120 assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment.However, as mentioned above, many other types of engagement orattachment mechanisms may be used (e.g., a snap engagement, etc.) toattach the strainer section 120 to the top section 110.

FIGS. 24-25 depict step two of the assembly process: attach, couple, ormate the top section 110 and strainer section 120 assembly to the motorhousing 130. FIG. 24 depicts the top section 110 and strainer section120 assembly positioned longitudinally above the motor housing 130. Tocouple the top section 110 and strainer section 120 assembly to themotor housing 130, the motor adapter 162 (of the strainer section 120)is aligned and inserted into the drive member adapter 132. As mentionedabove, in one embodiment the drive member adapter 132 (or, coupling,coupling structure, etc.) is directly attached to the motor 131 while,in other embodiments, the drive member adapter 132 is a part of themotor housing 130. Simultaneously or near simultaneously, the secondridge 117 of the housing 115 of the top section 110 is received in thegroove 138 of the motor housing 130. The top section 110 is then rotatedto latch the top and strainer sections 110, 120 to the motor housing 130via engagement of the ridge 117 and the groove 138. As a result of thelatch engagement between the top and strainer sections 110, 120 to themotor housing 130, the interlock device 133 is activated thereby makingthe centrifugal juicer 100 operational. A front view of the completelyassembled centrifugal juicer 100 is shown in FIG. 25 while FIG. 27depicts a top perspective view of the completely assembled centrifugaljuicer 100. As mentioned above, the twist-latch engagement is only onetype of attachment mechanism that may be used with the centrifugaljuicer of the present disclosure. Other embodiments may use differenttypes of attachment mechanisms, such as a snap-engagement, aninterference type engagement, or simply placing the assembled topsection and strainer section on the motor housing. Accordingly, thedescribed assembly process is not meant to be limiting as many otherprocesses may be used with such variations intended to fall within thepresent disclosure.

According to an alternate embodiment, the strainer section 120 may firstbe mated or coupled to the motor housing 130. As described herein, thismay be done via groove 141 to a complementary projection on the juicersieve housing 124 of the strainer section 120. However, many other typesof coupling mechanism may also be used in place of or in addition tothis mating feature. Furthermore, as mentioned above, this configurationrefers to an assembly where each of the top section 110, strainersection 120, and motor housing 130 have two mating surfaces. Couplingthe strainer section 120 to the motor housing may function to engage thedrive member 160 with the coupling member (i.e., drive member adapter132). Subsequently and lastly, the top section 110 may be mated with thecoupled strainer section 120 and motor housing 130. According to oneembodiment, mating the top section 110 to the coupled strainer section120 and motor housing 130 activates an interlock device (e.g., interlockdevice 133) to permit power to the motor 131 in the motor housing 131.Accordingly, while the Figures and description herein is mainly directedto coupling the strainer section to the top section and then coupling tothe motor housing, other variations of this process are possible thatstill fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Therefore, and as described above, the centrifugal juicer of the presentdisclosure is operationally assembled in two steps which is asimplifying reduction relative to the steps required to assemble/operateand disassemble/clean conventional centrifugal juicers. This innovationintegration of multiple features into a reduced set of component has theadvantages of reducing complexity, reducing potential failure modes,improving ease of use and cleaning, and is intended to increase ease ofuse by users.

Beneficially, the easy assembly or relatively easy assemblycharacteristic of the centrifugal juicer of the present disclosure mayaccommodate or provide additional functionality relative to thecentrifugal juicing functionality of the centrifugal juicer. Inparticular and in one embodiment, the centrifugal juicer may beconverted into a blender. In this regard, a separate blender conversionkit may accompany the centrifugal juicer to facilitate and enable theconversion of the centrifugal juicer to a blender. The blenderconversion kit may either include replacement components, componentsstructured to attach to components of the centrifugal juicer, or acombination thereof.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the blender conversion kit, the topsection 110 may be replaced by a blender jar (e.g., container), thestrainer section 120 may be replaced by a blender adapter (e.g., ablender component comprising one or more blades or otherblending/cutting devices), and the pulp and juice containers 140, 150may be removed. In one instance of this embodiment, the blender jar andblender adapter may be substantially permanently coupled together, suchthat coupling of the blender jar and blender adapter to the motorhousing 130 may trigger the interlock switch to provide electrical powerto the blender adapter to enable blending. In another instance of thisembodiment, the blender jar and blender adapter may be separatecomponents that may be selectively coupled or connected to each otherand then attached to the motor housing 130 (or, vice versa, the blenderadapter may be coupled to the motor housing 130 and then the blender jarcoupled to the combined motor housing 130 and blender adapter). In thislatter instance, the cutting member 125 may either remain the same likeshown herein, or replaced with a different blending cutting member(e.g., projecting blades). Further, in one embodiment, the strainer 121may be excluded from the section 120 to enable relatively easy couplingof the blender jar to the section 120, while in another embodiment, thestrainer 121 may be included. In each configuration, the cutting memberor blender adapter may be driven by the motor 131 in a rotary fashionusing a selective coupling mechanism (e.g., the drive member adapter 160shown herein) to enable blending. In operation, the blender jar mayinclude a lid that may be removed by a user to enable insertion of oneor more food and/or liquid products for blending (e.g., bananas, proteinmix, strawberries, lettuce, orange juice, etc.).

In another embodiment, the centrifugal juicer may be converted into acitrus juicer through the use of a citrus juicer conversion kit. Thecitrus juicer may be utilized to extract juice from a food product(e.g., orange juice from an orange while separating out the pulp parts)for consumption. Similar to the blender conversion, the citrus juicerconversion kit may utilize one or more replacement components,components that selectively attach to one or more components of thecentrifugal juicer, or a combination thereof.

Accordingly, in one embodiment, the top section 110 may be removed whilethe strainer section 120 may be either replaced with a dedicated citrusjuicer attachment that may couple to the motor housing 130 to beselectively driven by the motor 131 to extract the juice, or certaincomponents of the strainer section 120 may be removed and replaced withother components to form the citrus juicer attachment. For example, acitrus juicer attachment may be selectively coupled to the cuttingmember adapter 164 of the drive member 160. In this arrangement, thecutting member adapter 164 may be relatively longer or protruding abovethe cutting member 125 to enable additional coupling to the citrusjuicer attachment. The citrus juicer attachment may include a rotatableblending portion (e.g., a frustoconical portion with ribs or protrusionsthat rotate to scrape the food product to squeeze or extract juice fromthe food product), a filter or strainer that receives the loose solidfood parts (e.g., the pulp), and a catch for the extracted juice. Thecatch may be separate from the volume defined by the strainer 121 andcutting member 125 or may be the volume defined by the strainer 121 andthe cutting member 125. In the latter configuration, relatively lessspace may be occupied due to the reduction in additional components. Ineither configuration and in operation, a user may press a food product(e.g., an orange) on the rotatable blending portion to cause rotation ofthe rotatable blending portion by the motor 131 to, in turn, extractjuice from the food product.

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the citrusjuicer conversion kit and blender conversion kit may be readilyperformed based on the easy assembly characteristic of the centrifugaljuicer through the replacement of one or more components/sections of thecentrifugal juicer. It should be understood that the aforementionedexample conversion processes are not meant to be limiting as the presentdisclosure contemplates a wide variety of conversion processes/kits,with all such processes/kits intended to fall within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

Beneficially, both of the citrus juicer and blender conversion kits maybe packaged and sold with the centrifugal juicer of the presentdisclosure. In this regard, consumers may obtain a “three-in-one” unit.Further, due at least in part to the adaptability of the motor housing130, motor 131, and drive member 160, the motor housing 130 may remainthe same throughout each of the three configurations. In this regard, auser may only need to switch the centrifugal juicer parts (e.g., topsection 110 and strainer section 120) for one of the citrus juicerconversion kits or the blender conversion kits. A three-in-one unit maybe appealable to relatively more consumers due to the increasedfunctionality of the unit. However, it should be understood that more orless conversion kits/attachments may also be implemented with thecentrifugal juicer of the present disclosure to enable even morefunctionality than the aforementioned three functions, such that theseexample conversions are not meant to be limiting.

It should be noted that references to “front,” “rear,” “upper,” “top,”“bottom,” “left,” “right,” and “lower” in this description are merelyused to identify the various elements as they are oriented in theFigures, with “top” and “bottom” being indicating the relativepositioning of one or more components (e.g., the top section is placedon top of the motor housing). These terms are not meant to limit theelement which they describe.

Further, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means thejoining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Suchjoining may be stationary in nature or moveable in nature and/or suchjoining may allow for the flow of fluids, electricity, electricalsignals, or other types of signals or communication between the twomembers. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the twomembers and any additional intermediate members being integrally formedas a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or thetwo members and any additional intermediate members being attached toone another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternativelymay be removable or releasable in nature.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of theelements of centrifugal juicer 100 provided herein are illustrativeonly. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the presentinnovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, thoseskilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciatethat many modifications are possible in these embodiments (e.g., theinclusion of an integrated pulp container, various configurations forthe cutting member, various shapes and sizes of the components (e.g., acylindrical strainer), etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the inventions. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be within the scope of the inventions.

Furthermore, the order or sequence of any process or method steps may bevaried or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Othersubstitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in thedesign, operating configuration and arrangement of the preferred andother exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of thepresent disclosure as expressed herein and in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of providing of a centrifugal juicer,comprising: providing a top section of a centrifugal juicer, the topsection defining an opening for a cavity of the top section, the openingproximate to a bottom of the top section, wherein the top sectionincludes a first mating surface and a second mating surface that areeach positioned near the opening and within the cavity, wherein thesecond mating surface is positioned below the first mating surface suchthat the second mating surface is closer to the opening than the firstmating surface; providing a strainer section of the centrifugal juicer,the strainer section having a mating feature structured to selectivelymate with the first mating surface to couple the strainer section to thetop section; and providing a motor housing for a motor of thecentrifugal juicer, wherein the second mating surface engages with themotor housing to couple the top section to the motor housing.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein each of the top section, strainer section,and motor housing are provided as single piece components.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the motor housing includes a switch structured toselectively permit and prohibit power to the motor in the motor housing.4. The method of claim 3, wherein mating a coupled top section andstrainer section with the motor housing activates the switch to permitpower to the motor.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first matingsurface of the top section includes a ridge, wherein the mating featureof the strainer section includes a projection, and wherein the ridge andprojection are structured to rotatably engage to couple the top sectionto the strainer section.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the strainersection includes at least one projection, wherein the motor housing ormotor includes at least one groove, and wherein the at least one grooveis structured to receive the at least one projection to selectivelyengage with the strainer section.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thetop section includes a juice spout and a pulp exit, and wherein thejuice spout is structured to guide extracted juice from the centrifugaljuicer and the pulp exit is structured to provide pulp from thecentrifugal juicer.
 8. A method of assembling a centrifugal juicer,comprising: providing a top section, a strainer section having a matingfeature, and a motor housing for housing a motor of the centrifugaljuicer, the top section defining an opening for a cavity of the topsection, wherein the top section includes a first mating surface and asecond mating surface that are each positioned near the opening andwithin the cavity, wherein the second mating surface is positioned belowthe first mating surface such that the second mating surface is closerto the opening than the first mating surface; performing one of:inserting the strainer section into the opening of the cavity defined bythe top section, or coupling the strainer section with the motorhousing; wherein the insertion process includes: mating the first matingsurface with the mating feature of the strainer section to couple thetop section to the strainer section; and mating the coupled top sectionand strainer section with the motor housing via the second matingsurface to form the centrifugal juicer; and wherein the coupling processincludes mating the second mating surface of the top section with thecoupled strainer section and motor housing to form the centrifugaljuicer.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the strainer sectionand motor housing includes two mating surfaces.
 10. The method of claim8, wherein the first mating surface of the top section includes a ridge,wherein the mating feature of the strainer section includes aprojection, and wherein mating the first mating surface with the matingfeature of the strainer section includes rotatably engaging theprojection with the ridge to couple the top section to the strainersection.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the strainer sectionincludes at least one projection, wherein the motor housing or motorincludes at least one groove, and wherein the at least one groove isstructured to receive the at least one projection to selectively engagewith the strainer section.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the topsection includes a juice spout and a pulp exit, and wherein the juicespout is structured to guide extracted juice from the centrifugal juicerand the pulp exit is structured to provide pulp from the centrifugaljuicer.